Alcoholic who lay on road to get lifts from pubs told to 'get help'

A chronic alcoholic who was found staggering along a road on two occasions, causing a danger to himself and road users, has been urged by a judge to seek professional help.

Peter Rogers (62) received a 12-month ban from entering any pubs in North County Dublin last November for similar offences, where he was found lying in the middle of the road drunk and waiting for drivers to stop and bring him home from pubs.

Intoxicated

Rogers, who has gone 'cold turkey' since before Christmas and has not drank any alcohol since, pleaded guilty at Balbriggan District Court to being intoxicated in a public place last June 2 and November 19 near Naul, Co Dublin.

Rogers, of Mallahow, Naul, has five previous Section 4 convictions for being intoxicated in a public place, the court heard.

His "modus operandi" was to lie in the middle of the road drunk in a bid to get motorists to stop and he would ask for a lift home, the court heard.

Sergeant Tony Tighe said gardai received a report at 2.30pm on June 2 that he was walking on the Naul Road, staggering into the path of traffic.

"He was holding up five cars that could not pass him because he was extremely drunk," said Sgt Tighe.

In a similar incident on November 19 gardai received a call that Rogers was walking in the middle of the road at 4.10pm, waving his arms around.

He was intoxicated and when gardai arrived at the scene they brought him home. He left the house a short time later and was again was found in the middle of the road.

Position

Defence solicitor Fiona D'Arcy said the Rogers is an alcoholic but has stopped drinking.

"He is looking better today than ever and he went cold turkey to get off the alcohol," she said.

She explained Rogers was drinking heavily last year but said he never again wants to put himself or the public in the position he put them in before.

"It is terrible that the public are trying to drive on the road and you could have been seriously injured," said Judge Patricia McNamara.